The DVD about Kazakhstan has been
finalized. Distribution will began March 2, 2009!!

The videos on the
DVD provide a variety of information concerning the people, their
environment, and their culture as well as how you can become involved in
reaching the peoples of The Republic of Kazakhstan for Christ. A
brief introduction to each of the chapters is provided below.

See
additional information at the bottom of this page.

1. Introduction Video and Maps2:07
This short chapter includes video calibration charts.
Kazakhstan is located in central Asia
and was once a part of the former Soviet Union. China is to the East
and Russia to the North and the West. Kazakhstan has an area of
approximately one million square miles, one half that of the
continental United States but with a population of less than 16
million. It is a country endowed with abundant natural resources and
a multi ethnic people with a long history of cultural traditions and the
ability to survive in the harsh environment of the place they call
home. It was also a place and a people where exploitation, slave
labor, mismanagement and oppression were all around. Yet, today they
take pride in an exuberant free market economy and a constitutional
democracy.

NOTICE: The dual layer DVD disc used for the
files may not play on older DVD players; however, it will play on
most computers.

Filmed September 2008

Note:
All chapters are available
as High Definition video. Find
out more.

2.KAZAKHSTAN: Following a New Path
10:10It
has only been 17 years since the Republic of Kazakhstan
declared its independence. The fall of the former Soviet Union in
1991 allowed this country to follow its own pathway to the future
… a route not dictated by the authoritarian Communist powers of
Moscow. Much has changed in this country in the past few years
and, more is to come.

3. Seeds
for Fallow Soil 7:10Sheep and goats are still common in
the rural areas of Kazakhstan as a lone herdsman cares for animals that
once represented the resources of an entire village. The solitary
rider looks after cattle and horses in a similar manner as his herd
browses on the feather grass growing in the eastern regions of the
steppe. A century ago the lifestyle was much different. 90% of the
population of Kazakhstan lived off of the land.

4. The
Wanderers - The Narrow Path, Part
13:41 The ebb and flow
of history has brought together a multitude of peoples to form
what is now known as Kazakhstan. Religious beliefs, political
affiliations, lifestyle and physical appearance remain as guide
posts for the pathways that individuals, families and ethnic
groups follow.Originally
this vast country was inhabited by nomadic tribes that traveled
from place to place in small groups taking all of their
possessions with them.

5. The
Pathway to Survival Narrow Path, Part 2 4:59The
legend associated with the
BaiterekTower in
Astana symbolizes a mystic time when a dragon continually
destroyed the hopes and dreams of the Kazakh people. But, 400
years ago there were many real dragons facing the steppe nomads as
they searched for the pathway to nationhood. This search turned
out to be littered with destruction, disappointment and
exploitation. It was a time when survival was uncertain, when
the future was in the hands of powerful dragons.

6. The
Path of Sorrows - The Narrow Path, Part
311:30Loads of
coal, minerals and produce are common on these tracks that stretch
across the Republic of Kazakhstan. This train is on its way to
Astana and Karaganda in the central part of the
country. In contrast, there were many trainloads of people
following the same pathway during the reign of terror begun by
Lenin and continued with an even greater vengeance by
Stalin. Prison labor camps known as Gulags were set up to
purge the Soviet Union of political decent.

7. Choosing
a Path - The Narrow Path, Part
47:00 The citizens of Kazakhstan have much
to sing about as they experience the benefits that freedom brings.
In the 17 years since achieving independence, major changes have been
made which have forever altered the culture of this country. The
people, for the first time in their lives, have been given
unprecedented freedom; freedom from the domination of the former
Soviet Union. The government, social life, housing,
transportation, the money they use, education and their primary spoken
language have all changed over the past few years. They now have many
paths to choose from.

8.
Kazakhstan: Going Forward with Pride 7:13 The nomadic lifestyle of the Kazakhs is no more. What once was a
resilient and resourceful lifestyle, molded by the harsh
environment of the steppe, became only a dream of the old way of
life, which was eventually put in chains by forces outside the
control of the people. Kazakhstan is a country that was
devastated by many decades of powerful centralized control from
Moscow.

9.
Astana: Slaying the Dragons 8:42For Astana to reach this point in
time many problems were overcome … problems appearing as dragons
that were slain. The Baiterek Tower, meaning "tall
poplar tree" in the Kazakh language, symbolizes this feat.
As the legend goes,
Samruck, the mythical bird, would lay an egg each morning in the Baiterek
tree and late in the evening an evil dragon would eat the egg.
Finally, the Kazakh people killed the dragon and the egg burst
forth with eternal brightness.

10.
A View From the Tenth Floor 10:56 It is a long way down to the street from Ivan’s tenth floor
flat. At 8 o’clock in the morning there are only a few people up
and about. For most, their work does not start until 9 o’clock.
Of course, the construction cranes are silent now and they will
probably not work today. Construction has slowed to almost a
standstill due to financial problems and mismanagement. Ivan’s 14-floor apartment building is located on the
right bank of the Ishim River and was built four years ago.
His flat has three rooms with a total area of about 500 square
feet.

11.
On a Clear Day in Temirtau 4:13 On a clear day, smoke stacks can be seen pumping soot, ash, sulfur and
other chemicals into the blue sky above the city known as “Iron
Mountain” or, in the Kazakh language, “Temirtau”. It is iron that defines this city, its people and its
purpose. The first iron smelter was put into operation in 1944. The
following year the town name was changed from Samarkand to its
current name and granted city status.

12. Meeting
at the Bench 4:00The favorite
meeting place for these three gentlemen is under a shade tree with
the large heating pipes for their bench. Their grandchildren are
nearby … all enjoying the sunny afternoon. This is also a good
place for the grandmothers to sit for awhile and share time with
the young children as their parents are at work in the smoke
shrouded metallurgical factories of Temirtau.

13. Karaganda:
Overcoming a Tragic Past 7:16
Karaganda of
today is much like other large cities in Kazakhstan. The new
imported cars making their way along the main street, as well as
the large mural on the old apartment building, point to the
present as well as to the future; except, the tragic past of
this city is hidden from view, a time that shaped it’s destiny.

14. Saran:
Changing Lives, One Heart at a Time 6:36The 30-mile drive from Karaganda to the small city of
Saran is a vista of discouragement and lost dreams. All along
the way, surrounded by the scrub vegetation of the steppe, are old
decaying mines that once supplied coal to fuel the manufacturing
and power generation for the Karaganda Oblast. The
low efficiency and poor quality coal of these Soviet era
facilities proved to be unsustainable in the free market economy.

15. The
Celestial Mountains 5:55It is only about an hour’s
drive south of Almaty to the Tien-Shan Mountains, "The Celestial Mountains”, a 1500-mile long mountain range that
borders China to the East and Kyrgyzstan to the South.
This is a place to get away from the crowded city, a place to
rest, a place to enjoy, a place with memories of the past and promise of the future.
The high peaks, the deep valleys and the cool crisp air are an
invitation to all.

16.
God Makes Miracles!!! 11:57 This could be
almost any small city in Kazakhstan or possibly in the United
States or Europe. Japanese, Korean and European made automobiles
are all around and most are new. People are coming and going as
they finish their shopping or their work. Others stop along the
highway to catch up on the latest happenings of the day. There is
a special place for kids to play on a small merry-go-round and, nearby, some barbeque chicken to take home.

17.
Pravda Avenue 5:33This street in Almaty, Kazakhstan once
had the name of “Pravda”. The old street sign remains but
the letters have long since faded. “Pravda” in the Russian
language means “truth”. Pravda Avenue was so named during
the time the former Soviet Union controlled this land and
Almaty was the capital of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist
Republic.
During those times, the traffic was much different. There were
fewer automobiles and still fewer foreign imports.

18.
Bazaars: A Crossroads of Time and Space 6:24The
bazaar has long been the tradition of the peoples of Kazakhstan; a
place to buy and sell goods, often crowded, noisy and,
sometimes, smelly but still it endures. It has grown
dramatically since independence; since a true market economy
came into being. The old days of Soviet “Pravda”, of their form of truth, are gone. The days of bare
shelves are no more. There were few choices then but now the
bazaar is all about choices, competition, barter, and full
shelves with options among the many vendors. This has the
effect of sifting out the good from the bad products.

19.
The Hands of Man 4:40Standing high, at the entrance of Republic
Square in Almaty, Kazakhstan, is the Independence Monument
with a reminder of the Golden Warrior, a symbol of the ancient
civilization that once lived here. At the foot of the statue are
two ponies with young riders symbolizing the future of the
Republic of Kazakhstan. Surrounding the backside of this large
monument are several stone relief carvings depicting the Kazakh
history beginning with the time of the Golden Warrior. The focus,
however, is an imprint of a hand, the hand of President
Nazarbayev and a favorite place for young people as they
attempt to feel the presence of this visionary leader of the
Republic.

20. Guardians
of Tomorrow's Freedom 5:10These students
at a major university in Almaty grew up in a free Kazakhstan. It
was their parents and their grandparents who endured the
repressive control of Moscow. They will soon be given the
responsibility to protect as well as expand the hard won freedom
they now enjoy. Will they be up to the unknown challenges of
tomorrow? The high schools are preparing the students to be responsible
and informed. Their classrooms are in the same or in similar
buildings that were used before independence. But, the classes
are more open now.

21. The
New Life for Almaty 7:33 For
some, the recently completed apartment buildings represent a dream come
true. All the more, they are located in an upscale district overlooking
the city of Almaty. A large department store is nearby and a
well-equipped playground is for the kids. Those living here are
experiencing a new life of comfort, convenience and prestige.
Other new apartment buildings are located throughout the city,
not as tall but still they are new and much better than the
drab, monotonous and crowded structures of the past. Gone
are the weeds and trash, the cramped parking spaces and the
laundry always hanging in the small balconies.

22.
The Legends of Borovoye 6:25Borovoye, sometimes
called the “Pearl of Kazakhstan”, is a place where legends are
made. Where it is said that when God was creating the world one
of the nations was given rich forests, another got fertile fields
with green pastures, another a large tree-lined river and a fourth
received beautiful mountains, blue lakes and streams flowing down
the steep ravines but, all that the Kazakhs received was the
steppe, a huge desolate expanse of flatland stretching for
hundreds of miles with only feather-grass and scrub.

23.
Kokshetau 6:06Grain elevators are a
common sight along the highway leading to the city of Kokshetau.
On this highway, during the wheat harvest, huge combines make
their way from one field to the next. The north central part
of Kazakhstan is the grain belt of the country.
The city of Kokshetau was founded in 1824 as a Russian
administrative outpost to extend their power over the Kazakhs.

24. Winter:
The Familiar Path7:03Winter
in the northern part of Kazakhstan is a time of unparalleled
beauty as the snow and ice hangs on the trees and lakes and rivers
freeze over. It is also a time of danger as the relentless
winds and below zero temperatures threatens the exposed skin of
those who venture out. Astana, at 51 degrees North Latitude, is further north than
the continental United States but the temperatures are more like
the Arctic.

25. Wedding Traditions 3:18For this bride and groom, their
wedding would not be complete without a professional videographer
choreographing the sequence of events. Things that are
included in the script are: the symbolic “heart to heart”,
the walk to a famous monument and the ride to various places in a
long white limousine decorated with large wedding rings, and of
course, accompanied all the while with rock music in the
background.

26.
Atyrau: East meets West 11:28Cars and trucks stream across
the bridge that spans the Ural
River, a river that separates the East from the West, Asia from
Europe. But, this is only a river, a place to fish, a place to ride
an excursion boat, a place that looks the same from either direction. Those making the daily commute across the river are not
concerned about whether their homes or jobs are in Asia or Europe.
Instead, they look to the oil and gas industry, an industry that
is fueling the economy .

27.
Oh Isa! Oh Isa! Oh Isa! 5:39“Jesus,
Jesus, Jesus!” … You can hear the words, the
adoration for their Savior. Sometimes they sound near, and, other times, distant. Where are those who know, trust and
follow Jesus? Would it be possible to join with them as they sing
praises to God and to His Son, Jesus? Atyrau is a large city, a wealthy city. About 90% of
its residents are ethnic Kazakh and, therefore, Muslim. Yet,
worship songs, the praises, the prayers are in the Kazakh
language. Yes, THERE ARE KAZAKH BELIEVERS in Atyrau!

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